Snow, Ice Possible This Weekend Across A Large Portion of Oklahoma

Arctic air and wintry precipitation will return to the state this weekend with highest confidence in the cold and less certainty with the precipitation, which is almost always the case.

OKLAHOMA CITY -

Arctic air and wintry precipitation will return to the state this weekend with highest confidence in the cold and less certainty with the precipitation, which is almost always the case. At this time, I'm most concerned with ice and sleet accumulations and less with heavy snow.

A shallow (less than 2,000 feet deep) mass of Arctic air spilling south across the state late Saturday and Sunday will result in a wide range of precipitation type and in location. I wish I could offer more definitive information with respect to "how much and where", but the truth is it's really not possible at this time. So much depends on the thermodynamic profile (temperature profile) within a relatively small layer of the atmosphere closest to the ground.

Timing: Beginning Saturday evening and spanning overnight all the way through Sunday evening. This does not mean it will precipitate (rain/snow/sleet/ice) the entire time; this is merely the time window where precipitation will be possible.

Amounts: Snow, sleet and ice accumulations possible. Exact amounts are not available at this time, but I'm favoring northern Oklahoma for snow and sleet accumulations, central - OKC - and southern Oklahoma for sleet and freezing rain accumulations.

Impacts: Slick and hazardous traveling conditions certainly a possibility, but again impacts will be heavily dependent on precipitation type, amount and location.